Adjustable tiller



T. T. TVEDT.

ADJUSTABLE TILLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1921.

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THOMAS r. rvnn'r, or CITY IsLAND, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE TILLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 14, 1921. Serial No. 452,041.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs T. Tvnn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at 129 Rochelle street, City Island, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Tillers, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates tothe steering gear of vessels and an object of the invention is to provide means whereby the rudder, and the tiller or quadrant, may be readily adjusted relatively to each other.

A further object is to provide a steering gear in which in case of accident to the rudder or rudder stock, causing the latter to become twisted or the rudder to be bent, readjustment of the parts to bring the rudder, and tiller or quadrant into proper relative position can be accomplished without hauling the vessel out of the water or unshipping the rudder.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a member made fast to the rudder stock and means for clamping the tiller or quadrant to this member so that relative adjustments to any position can be made.

Other features and advantages will be come apparent from the followin detailed description and claim when taken in con- 'nection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a erspective view showin a rudder and rudder stock with the tiller or quadrant connected so as to accomplish the results desired;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a slightly different construction; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the rudder 1 is secured to the rudder stock 2 in any well known manner, andto the rudder stock is secured a disk 3 by a-key 4:. The tiller or quadrant 5 is adapted to be adjustably clamped or locked to the disk 3 and for this purpose, in the form of device shown in Fig. 1 and which is the preferred form,

the tiller or quadrant has a circular portion formed integral therewith, which is flanged to fit the disk 3. Clamping means are provided in the form of a ring 6 which is recessed to fit the disk and clamping bolts 7 pass through the tiller element 5 and through the ring 6, clamping them to the disk 3.

In order to effect relative adjustment between the tiller or quadrant, and the rudder, the bolts are loosened and the tiller or quadrant moved to the desired position and the bolts again tightened. In order to facilitate adjustment the rudder stock may be provided with a hole 11 in its end, through which a bar may be temporarily inserted to hold the rudder stock stationary while the tiller or quadrant is moved. It is, of course, obvious that in lieu of a hole, the end of the rudder stock may be squared or made hexagonal.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, an upper flanged member 5 corresponds to the circular portion of the tiller or quadrant 5 in Fig. 2 and in the modified construction, the tiller or quadrant is made as a separate part of the device and consists of an upper plate 8 and a lower plate 9 secured together by screws 10. Otherwise the construction is substantially the same as that form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the similar parts being correspondingly numbered except that the letter a is used in the modified construction when applied to parts which are substantially, though not exactly the same as the parts referred to in the first form.

It often happens that when a vessel is backed, some obstruction is met with which causes the bending of the rudder or a twisting of the rudder stock, and in the prior forms of steering gear, it is impossible to steer the vessel under these circumstances, because the tiller or quadrant is not properly positioned with respect to the rudder. In order to get the parts again in proper position it is necessary to take the vessel out of the water and unship the rudder. In my' improved construction this is not necessary as the relative adjustment can be made from the inside of the hull of the vessel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a device of the character described, the combination with arudder stock and a tiller or quadrant, of a circular disk secured to the rudder stock, a flanged member forming part of the tiller or quadrant and recessed to fit said circular disk, a a clamping ring also recessed to fit said cir- 10 cular disk, and a series of bolts extending through said flanged member andring, and clamping the disk betweenthem. i

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 12th day of March, 1921. a I I '7 THOMAS T. TVEDT. 

